Chaos Theory
by Shazz-chan
Summary: Summary: The battle for the world is over. The job of rebuilding Midgar has just begun. But not everything on the slate has been wiped clean. The Chaos Beast still rages within Vincent, and it's latest attack threatens to take everything precious from him
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy VII characters used in this story are copyright to SquareEnix and Tetsuya Nomura.

Summary: The battle for the world is over. The job of rebuilding Midgar has just begun. But not everything on the slate has been wiped clean. The Chaos Beast still rages within Vincent, and it's latest attack threatens to take everything precious from him.

The Chaos Theory

_Prologue_

_The Chaos Theory._

_Your altered human body hides a frightening reality. The beast within you threatens to rip through your very flesh._

_It is not a disease, it isn't as simple as that. There is no cure, there isn't even an accurate diagnosis to start with._

_The only one who knows the solution is dead, killed by your own hands._

_But there's no point regretting the past, because at the time there was no other choice. Yet now, and every day since that experiment it has remained with you, plagued your weary body, weakening it to the point of collapse._

_The battle for the world is over. The job of rebuilding Midgar has just begun, but not everything on the slate has been wiped clean. The Chaos beast still rages within you, and its latest attack threatens to take everything dear to you._

_Even in death, Hojo is getting his revenge._


	2. Chapter 01: Awakening

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy VII characters used in this story are copyright to SquareEnix and Tetsuya Nomura.

Summary: The battle for the world is over. The job of rebuilding Midgar has just begun. But not everything on the slate has been wiped clean. The Chaos Beast still rages within Vincent, and it's latest attack threatens to take everything precious from him.

The Chaos Theory

Chapter 1: Awakening

The black of the night meets my eyes as I blink them open. The clock on the bedside table reads 2:35 in annoying bright red digits.

For a moment I try to catch my bearings, and shift slightly under the bedcovers. I am greeted with a soft sigh against the back of my neck; Cid's arms are still wrapped around my waist.

He is a deep-sleeper, so I don't expect to wake him with my movement. I'm right, and his breathing returns to normal after a few moments.

I allow myself the slightest of smiles in the darkness. Who would've guessed such a brash and over-confident man could be this gentle?

I shut my eyes and grin, but he is still possessive even in his sleep.

I begin to feel sleep take over me again, but then I suddenly sense something... a tiny burning sensation in my chest.

_Oh please God not now. Not with him here. I can't bear him seeing me like this._

My breath falters a little as the pressure increases and begins to spread further towards my lungs. Closing my eyes tight I count to ten slowly, if I try not to panic perhaps it will subside this time. Focus on something..._ Anything._

I stare out of the gap in the curtains towards the bright moon, concentrating hard on the shape, the craters, the colours, anything to take my mind away from the burning feeling. His words echo back to me then, _'Just sit it out, it'll be fine in no time... Breathe, Vincent, breathe.' _ I repeat the sentence over and over in my head like a mantra, the flame still spreading in my chest.

Without warning a sharp pain rips through my lungs, forcing me to choke out a cough, jerking forwards. I clamp my hand over my mouth, trying to hold it back. It sounds stupid but I didn't want to wake him, this was my body, my problem, and as soon as it stops I can just forget it happened.

I screw up my eyes as the burning turns into another sharp, ripping pain.

Another hard cough, another jerk forwards and my forehead is beginning to throb.

I'm waiting. Waiting for the sign that it's receding, waiting for the burn to fade.

Usually it dies down after a while, but as time slowly passes I begin to realise this is unlike the other times. The burn isn't fading, it's changing into something else.

I'm trying to stay calm but panic is taking over me and I struggle to breath in precious air. My lungs and airways feel tight, I can feel my pulse throbbing in my head, my insides feel like they could rip through my feverish skin any moment.

It's not my organs though, I know that much. It's..._Him._ The Chaos Beast, threatening to break free of my weak human body once again. My body shakes as I silently try to contain more coughing, it's getting difficult now.

Rubbing my thumb and index finger together I can feel thick spots of blood from my outburst.

I won't be able to sit this one out so I slip carefully out of Cid's arms, and move to sit at the edge of the bed .My left hand grasping my chest desperately, seeking any kind of relief from the searing pain.

_Water. Maybe it will help this burning temperature._

My mind is racing and I go to stand up, forgetting about my weak state. Needless to say my knees give way and I fall hard onto all fours, my eyes wide and staring down at the wooden floor.

_I hope Cid hasn't woken up._ God is that all I can think of?

I start to hyperventilate, my hand is still clasped over my mouth to avoid coughing, but after a while I can't stand it and take it away, leaning on both hands trying to breath precious air. I let out gurgling cough, and blood splatters down onto the floorboards, some landing on my hand. Ignoring the staining I gasp, and somehow manage to crawl my way out of the room. I head into the bathroom, and rest my pounding head on the rim of the toilet seat.

I can't remember the last time it felt this violent.. Man he must really be pissed off at me. My face contorts as the pain tears through me again, reaching every nerve, spreading through every muscle. My head, my chest, my back, my lungs, getting weaker every second under his persistence.

I try to focus on the dark wall in front of me, but my vision is two tone. I screw my eyes up in a lame attempt to fix it, but I reopen them to find the same dizziness as before. With shaking hands I grip the toilet seat as I am sick suddenly. Inhaling hard I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, and even through the darkness I can tell it was mostly blood.

I don't want to move, It hurts to do anything now. But I know I can't let myself get comfortable, I've held him back this far, and I ain't going down without one hell of a fight.

I let my gaze settle on the doorway, and the small rectangle of moonlight that has highlighted the landing. Maybe some fresh air. Yeah, maybe that will help.

Dragging myself from the toilet seat, I struggle out the doorway and down the stairs, half crawling, half falling into the living room.

Using the curtains and doorframe I pull myself slowly to my feet, propping myself against the wall as I unlatch the front door. I grit my teeth and stumble out into the Midgar night, the cool, fresh breeze contrasting against my burning body.

The sudden jolt of temperature causes my vision to blur again. Not good .I fall onto all fours once more, coming face to face with grey stone cobbles. I cough violently, trying not to choke on the thick internal blood that is expelled from my throat. There is a tearing sound and I gasp in pain, dropping my forehead to the ground as I feel the wings trying to push through.

_Oh no. No,no, no,not yet you son-of-a-bitch, I'm not giving in yet!_

I give a low growl, my fingers scraping the hard stone, gripping until they felt numb, until small droplets of blood appeared at the tips.

I absolutely refuse to let it take me, not after everything I fought through over the years. Perhaps it's been waiting all that time, waiting till I got comfortable living this normal life, waiting for me to let my guard down. Maybe he meant for this to happen now, that bastard Hojo created a ticking time bomb inside of me, and now I can do nothing except remain in this pathetic fetal position, holding onto the tiny thread of consciousness I have left.

My hair is slipping into my eyes and I'm sick again, it's not much, but all of it's blood anyway. I watch it spill into the cracks of the cobblestones. It doesn't let me rest though, instead the sharpest pain of all slices through me so violently my pupils are wide, and I crumple to the ground flat.

"...No," I splutter, my attempt at a cry merely a whimper as my body collapses at last.

The beast rips through...

The blackness takes me...

XxX

Wow, I've been so unmotivated for so long, this is the first fic I've started in ages..

Anywho, Hope you enjoyed it, Suggestions, reviews etc. would be nice


	3. Chapter 02

Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy VII characters used in this story are copyright to SquareEnix and Tetsuya Nomura.

Summary: The battle for the world is over. The job of rebuilding Midgar has just begun. But not everything on the slate has been wiped clean. The Chaos Beast still rages within Vincent, and it's latest attack threatens to take everything precious from him.

The Chaos Theory

Chapter 2

The light of the full moon shone in through the small bedroom window, illuminating the sleeping Cid. He screwed up his eyes in discomfort, and pushed his face further into the soft pillow, trying to block out the light. After a few minutes he gave a low, unintelligible grumble, and realised that if he wanted any more sleep tonight, he would have to get up and close the curtains. From the warm comfort of the bed, the window sill seemed miles away.

He let out another groan, he didn't want to wake Vincent, he was a light sleeper. Either that or paranoid, every tiny sound would wake him. Cid reckoned it was probably a result of being stuck inside a coffin for however many hundred years.

He wriggled his fingers, expecting to feel the soft skin of his partners stomach, but instead he felt nothing. Only the hard mattress met his fingertips.

He frowned in confusion, and decided with a sigh that he would have to open his eyes. As he did he was met with only the crumpled up duvet next to him.

"..Vincent?" he mumbled into the dark room.

His blue eyes tried to focus around him, staring into the shadows trying to pick out objects. After a while his gaze fell finally back to the space beside him.

The moonlight had picked out a spot of something on the mattress. His eyes widened as he realised it was blood. Immediatley he reached out and touched the space.

It was dry.Which meant it had been there for a while.

Cid swallowed nervously, and pulled himself over to the edge of the bed. He spotted more blood splattered onto the floorboards below him. The fuzzy feeling of sleep had deserted him, and was being rapidly replaced with a large sinking feeling in his stomach.

With his eyes still fixated on the crimson stain, Cid blindly reached for the bedside lamp. After a few seconds of feeling around his finger found the switch, and the room was bathed in a warm orange light.

He shoved the duvet unceremoniously to the end of the bed, and got out to fully inspect the blood specks. Walking around the side of the bed he followed the tiny trail to the bedroom doorway.

_What is that smell?_ He thought, the sinking feeling turning more into an ache.

Holding his nose with his fingers he gingerly stepped into the doorway of the bathroom. He switched on the light.

The brightness blinded him for a second, but as his eyes adjusted to the change from dark to light they widened suddenly. He gave a gasp and stumbled back a few steps, bumping into the doorframe with his shoulder.

Blood.

Lots of blood.

From his position he could see it was filling the toilet, smeared on the seat, dripping down where it had soaked into the carpet. The smell was overbearing, and it took all the power in the world as he stepped forward again, almost gagging, his hand clamped over his mouth and nose. The blood was a bright red. It was internal.

Cid hurridley reached for the flush, and then stumbled back out of the room with a gasp for air.

"Vincent!" He cried, turning wildly, hoping to catch a sign, a glimpse of his partner still in the house.

He took another glance into the bathroom. This blood came from Chaos, it had to have. The monster inside Vincent had finally broken him, this blood was evident of the struggle between the two. Vincent had been fighting for control with the beast for so long now, even before they had first met him.

He'd tried to hide these attacks from him and the others for a long time too, but ever since he and Cid had started living together, well, it's hard to hide that sort of thing from someone who's always around you.

It confirmed that there were side effects of limit break ability. Harsh ones.

But of all the attacks in the past, of all the times where Vincent had led breathless in his arms, very nearly passing out on occasion, there was never as much blood as this.

Cid heaved and let out a choking cough.

No, this time was different. This time felt worse, much, much worse.

There was a fluttering of paper from downstairs and Cid grabbed the banister, trying not to be sick as he shakily walked down the stairs.

"Vincent...?" He called, but it was barely above a whisper, he voice wavering as he spoke.

He swallowed as he saw nothing but the front door, swung open as the early morning morning breeze blew magazines and newspapers across the living room floor. He ran over to the doorway, and was more than half expecting, hoping perhaps, to see Vincent lying on the doorstep.

Chillingly though, this was not the image that met his eyes.

Nothing.

Only the dark grey cobblestones. Looking closely he noticed more faint blooddrops.

It was sad but by now the sight of blood had become almost normal to Cid. Battle after battle, watching friends and neighbours lose their lives under the grip of Shinra and Sephiroth.

But he knew then that this image would never leave his memory.

"Vincent?!" He called louder, but his will was weak, and he knew deep down there would be no reply.

He had gone. The Chaos beast had taken him finally.

All he was left with now were the rows of small houses which led down into where the slums used to be, the large bubbling fountain in the middle of the square and the silent shadows of the night, bent and twisted by the now approaching sunlight.

He stubbornly wiped the moisture that threatened to build in his eyes, giving a shiver as the freezing winter wind blew across him, reminding him that he had stumbled straight out of the house in only a pair of boxers.

Minutes passed seamlessley as he stood transfixed by the empty space before him, the pale blood spots the only sign Vincent had ever been there at all.

He felt numb.


End file.
